New Delhi: In the backdrop of a blanket ban on slaughter of cows, bulls and bullocks, a Bangalore based short filmmaker, in a sarcastic way, has allegedly filed a petition asking the government "to ban vegetables also on the occasion of Muslim festival Bakr-Eid".
In his petition, Falah Faisal wrote: “As a Muslim, I'd like to call for a ban across the country on vegetables of all kinds of Bakr-Eid (September 25, 2015). Because plants have feelings too.”
In his another sarcastic argument, Faisal added that the level of pesticides in vegetables these days 'are harmful for us.'
"With the meat ban being enforced on us due to various religious reason, I think it is only rightful for us minorities to have a say," reads his petition.
Here is the complete petition:
With the meat ban being enforced on us due to various religious reason, I think it is only rightful for us minorities to have a say. As a Muslim, I'd like to call for a ban across the country on vegetables of all kinds of Bakr-Eid (September 25,2015). Because plants have feelings too.
The prophet, Ibrahim was willing to sacrifice his own son. I hope we all can give up eating vegetables for a day. Recent reports state that the levels of pesticide present in vegetables is on the rise, which means they are actually harmful for us.
If you are someone who is a vegetarian who doesn't eat anything but the offshoot of plants, I bet you can starve for a day. Fasting is good for you. We do it for a month every year.
You might ask what we might cook our meat with if not vegetables? Or that I might need mashed potatoes on the side of my steak. But it is only a day guys. I bet we can pull through. And think about it. If we don't eat vegetables for a day, we just have more on the next day. The ban provides for itself. It also gives the hardworking Indian farmers a day of much deserves rest.
Although, unlike other ban-chods I am willing to be reasonable and willing to make a compromise. If the demand of banning vegetable consumption is unreasonable my alternative demand is that everyone in the country, irrespective of religious beliefs partakes in the consumption of mutton (biryani) on that day. You can come over to my house. I don't mind sharing. We have lots.
The petition has been lodged on Change.org. This platform is a 'petition website' which is operated by Change.org, Inc, an American certified B Corporation. Change.org entertains petitions related to some important social topics like - economic and criminal justice, human rights, education, environmental protection, animals rights, health, and sustainable food.
While Faisal on Twitter said that this petition is a 'political mischief', it has already managed to grab the attention.
Up to some political mischief. Let's see if we can make this happen #VeggieBan #Eid #Sept25 https://t.co/iAbh9OuJsJ
— Falah Faisal (@falah619) September 21, 2015
What began as the reinstatement of the age-old meat ban during the Jain festival of Paryushan this year in Mumbai, was soon followed by Bengaluru, where the sale of meat was prohibited on Ganesha Chaturthi. And then, the trend was picked up by other stated like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, etc.
Jammu and Kashmir became the latest addition to this list when the state High Court directed the authorities on September 10 to strictly enforce a 150-year-old erstwhile Dogra-rule-era provision of ban on sale and distribution of beef in the state.
With hundreds of families across the country preparing Eid-ul-Azha in the last week of September, the ban on sale of meat, including beef, has come as a huge setback for the traders who were expecting a good business during the festive season.
On the other hand, cow is a revered animal for many in the Hindu community, and therefore its slaughter is considered unacceptable by them. Prohibition of cow slaughter is mentioned as one of the Directive Principles of State Policy under Article 48 of the Indian Constitution. The issue, though, has remained largely dormant till recently.
